“I know you won’t believe me, but there was never a moment where I thought to myself, “I’m going to take this and make it mine”

Billed as a sharp literary thriller, Yellowface is a hard novel to sum up - it’s a literary, page-turning, cultural criticism piece, while also being a deeply paranoid and cutthroat thriller. It’s a book to be gulped down in one of two sittings - the story of June Hayward, a white woman, struggling writer and close(ish) friend of literary darling Athena Liu. Athena tragically dies in a freak accident while June is visiting... and just after she's shown off her completed manuscript for her latest novel to June.

The Last Front is a historical epic concerning Chinese labourers during WWI, and after a quick peek, June grabs the manuscript, intent (?) on making it her own. The Last Front is published under June's name and quickly becomes a sensation - but questions are asked around the novel's authenticity, and indeed, of June's. Who owns stories? Who gets to tell them, and in what context? These are questions that hang over June’s newfound success, and indeed, the text itself.

If meta-commentary is your thing (it’s mine) you will love this. References to the world of book influencing and publishing abound - many of Kuang’s observations are so pithy and sharp that I laughed aloud. And as for the main character - well, June is absolutely pitiful, the kind of liberal white woman so skewered by people like Jordan Peele, who always vote Democrat but nonetheless roll an eye at so-called “forced diversity”. We all know one in real life, and Kuang’s scathing takedown is as sharp as it is funny.

One or two criticisms prevent it from reaching the dizzy heights of Babel - though to be fair it’s nearly impossible to compare the two. The plot takes a turn towards the surreal near the end and I couldn’t quite suspend my disbelief enough to swallow it. Secondly, I would have loved a chapter or two from Athena’s POV - purely because June was a f***ing pain in the arse and I would have appreciated a break from her.

Overall, I thought this was a very clever book and while Kuang is more than willing to allow her own opinions to bleed into the text, it didn’t bother me at all. Parts of the story read as direct responses to criticism of her earlier work, and you know what, maybe authors being this salty is a good thing. Certainly when the results are this good, it doesn’t bother me.

I really enjoyed reading Yellowface and it did not disappoint at all! I was drawn from the blurb and wasn't fully sure what to expect but as the characters and story continued to develop, I was more mesmerized by it all.

I loved (almost) everything about Yellowface. Everyone who‘s working in the book industry will rave about it. What I didn’t like was the way the story was told. It was almost only tell and no show and because of that, Yellowface at times just felt like a very drawn out summary of what was going on. Nevertheless a book I highly recommend. It highlights Kuang’s variability as an author and singles out her talent. Comparing Babel and Yellowface, the writing styles couldn’t be more different (which makes sense since one is historical fiction and the other is a contemporary rather light thriller) yet so absorbing! I cannot wait for Kuang‘s next book and really wish for another new genre for her to conquer.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Yellowface.

WOW.

Rebecca F Kuang understands the art of satire to a T. This book made me scoff in disgust, in horror, in astonishment of the sheer audacity displayed by the characters.

THIS is a book for the ages (and so very relevant in light of the recent developments in the publishing world). I can’t wait to buy a copy of this beauty.

My first 5⭐️ of the year.

I actually find this book really hard to describe and put into a category, but I’m going to try my best.

In this book we follow June Hayward who has not found much success after publishing her first book, as opposed to her friend Athena, who is a successful bestselling author. After Athena’s death, June comes in possession of Athena’s new manuscript, which June decides to steal and publish as her own. From there on out we follow June as she falls down the rabbit hole of publishing, audience’s response, her own self consciousness and how far is she willing to go.

This is a very clever and witty novel. I’ve found the social commentary about the publishing industry, cultural appropriation, racism, social media, cancel culture and the question of originality really eye opening and thought provoking.

In this book, everyone is morally grey and we especially get to see how awful June is as we are in her head.

Additionally, I love how much I actually learned about the whole process of publishing the book, marketing, royalties, the sales, everything in between and how it all works.
Also the pop culture references I found really funny and they really made sense for the story.

Overall I really really recommend this book. R. F. Kuang can do do wrong in my eyes. Literary thriller would be a good category to put it in, although the big reveal at the end is not the point of the book, the real point, in my opinion is the commentary and satire.

This book is a satire on the publishing world, but it could be about any work environment. Jealousy, stolen ideas, people spinning stories to make their deeds look better... that is what having a job is about after all. Kuang portrays it in a very funny. I regularly chuckled as I recognised a lot.

Even though this book was a pageturner for me, Kuang touches a few very philosophical important issues: can writers create characters from a different background, inspiration and creativity, the way social media makes and breaks people, the erasure of voices...

I wasn't convinced by one character -though telling you which one may be a bit of a spoiler. But then again, June is the (untrustworthy) narrative voice and she is a less talented writer than Athena, so this may have been on purpose.

The whodunnit part was a bit predicatble, but I didn't mind that at all. The book was funny, dark and witty, so I wasn't bothered by it at all. I definitely enjoyed this one a lot! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!

Set in the cut-throat world of publishing. It didn’t have a single likeable character in it, but it raced along and is one of those suspenseful books, you almost can’t bear to keep reading but you have to keep reading!

Due out in May - a solid 8.

I've never read any of Kuang's work as I'm not a huge fan of fantasy novels, but the premise of this book caught my interest as soon as I heard about it. The book is written from June's perspective, she's a writer and struggling author who showed huge promise, graduated from Yale, and then had her first book totally flop. She has a twisted sort of friendship (acquaintance-ship?) with Athena, a literary star with Asian heritage. June views Athena with jealousy; she's envious that (supposedly) no one wants to read books by white women anymore, and views Athena as being someone that has had everything gifted to them due to her 'diversity'. When Athena dies in front of June, June heads to Athena's home office and steals the manuscript that sits on her desk. She polishes it, rationalising that it's a collaborative project and she can't leave the work of her friend to be wasted after her death, but the polishing leads to publication and a huge advance. Suddenly June is living the life she'd been so jealous of Athena living, and we watch as tension rises and things begin to spiral out of her control.

I LOVED this book. It's like nothing I've ever read - commenting on the publishing industry, the myth of reverse racism, white fragility, and white feminism. I found myself hooked from the first page, and I now plan to devour the rest of Kuang's work - her writing and wit is so incredible that I'm willing to give fantasy a go. I'm sure that lots of Kuang's own experiences are threaded throughout the pages of this novel, but that's the beauty of it - she continues to keep us guessing throughout, as well as after finishing the book. I was worried that the ending wouldn't be able to round off a book I'd enjoyed so much, but it was perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and The Borough Press for gifting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.

4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
Wow! What a completely different novel to Babel. Kuang proves she is an adaptable, and talented writer.

Yellowface is (very) clever. The social commentary opens up many discussions on: cultural appropriation, the publishing industry, social media and professional female friendships.

Yellowface reminds me of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and Assembly by Natasha Brown. I am not going to compare it to The Other Black Girl because this is far far superior.

The only real criticism is the ending: I expected more.

*SPOLIER*

And why didn't Atgena's Mum simply read the notebooks. Surely with all that was going on she would overcome her fear of her daughter's innermost thoughts?

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Yellowface.

My first five star read of the year I am so grateful to netgalley and boroughpress for this ARC.
I’ve seen this described as a thriller but I feel that it’s deeper than this. It’s a deep dive into the publishing industry and world of authors told from the point of view of June who steals the manuscript of her dead literary rival, Athena. This all happens within the first chapter of the book which makes it incredibly fast-paced with the constant “just one more chapter” feeling throughout.

What follows is a story of twists, dark secrets and a woman who is determined to succeed no matter what the cost. The immoral character of June / Juniper Song is a shocking insight into a murky world that feels somewhat realistic and had me questioning so many aspects of “no way, does this really happen?” (The power of a good agent to twist the narrative is terrifying here)

Haunted by the presence of Athena, June rises to success after publishing the stolen manuscript and without giving too much away, the story continues to develop with many ups and downs as June struggles to cope with the grief mixed up with the terrible guilt of stealing a dead friends manuscript.

What I found completely compelling about the novel, was how many characters seem to indulge June and her blatant manipulation of not only her own life but the re-writing of Athena’s in order to promote her own success.

Yellowface had me gripped from the first chapter and Junes story shines a light on the publishing industry for the manipulative machine it can be, something I have never read about before.

R.F Kuang has completely bewitched me with Yellowface even without any fantasy and I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next. I enjoyed Babel last year and I just know Yellowface is going to be everywhere when it’s released on 25th May.

Both drama and satire, Kuang's "Yellowface" is well-written and fast-paced, intriguing and engaging, with both interesting plot points and cast of characters.

Who are you writing for? Your intended audience? What is your voice? Who are you speaking on behalf of? Who’s history have you stolen? Who’s home? Who will remember you when you’re gone? How will they remember you? These are all questions Kuang asks you while reading Yellowface.

This book is about many things, but it’s mainly about power, and what happens when the power dynamics are skewed or abused. The damage that happens when (predominantly white) people go somewhere with the specific aim of obtaining (or stealing) a story. Not to tell it to help that community, but for profit.

I can see kuang’s meticulous writing, the way she plants the seeds early and they begin to grow as you read. This story isn’t just about the plot, we know what’s going to happen. It’s about everything in between. All the details, intricacies involved in being in the public eye and everything that comes with it. This, albeit short, book discusses many things we see in our society, that are often brushed off or neglected (as reflected by the main character), in great detail. From the damage that comes with (predominantly western voices) stereotyping marginalised communities, structural and systemic differences, the need to understand the necessity for diversity in communities, rather than merely filling quotas or telling stories that aren’t yours, ideas and lives to criticising ‘reverse racism’, ‘race traitors’, she criticised the white gaze, fragility and self victimisation, feminism without intersectionality, with nods towards translation and very similar themes that run across Babel (another must read from R F Kuang). All of these things matter, and are so often overlooked by those who don’t directly face these difficulties everyday. Or ever.

No point is left underdeveloped, every loose not tied. Kuang touches on a point early on the book, and then brings it back to reiterate and hammer it home. I ended up going back to lots of sections while reading the book. The book discusses the dangers of self validation when ignorance becomes bliss. Of damaging industries built on capitalism, labels and market trends and profiting off of the back of others. Of actions mediated by self delusion, greed and denial and shallow apologies. The difference between staying alive and taking advantage, and when these lines blur when you desperately dig yourself a hole so deep, there’s no way out anymore and the only way to survive is believing that it’s your only option. And how dumb you look when the perspectives are flipped and the fog over your eyes finally lifts. Except for when it doesn’t. This book is so frustrating, and for good reason.

Juniper made me want hurl this book at my wall many times, from start to end. She’s just someone who would never get it. Not even when it’s shining her blindly in the face. A true reflection of some people in our society and how everything flies over their heads because of the privilege they’ve never lived without. The worst thing is, I know Juniper would do it again, just try make sure she wouldn’t get caught. She still thinks she’s in the right and probably will until the very end. She will always want something she can never have, always be clouded in self delusion and validation. The tragedy is, she will always want to take something others never asked for in the first place and always strive to break out of. This is one thing Juniper will never understand.

This book makes you think twice about what you’re reading, who the author is, and whether separating art from the artist is ever really an option, or feasible because all your (and their) actions can have detrimental consequences on others who aren’t you. Consequences that you’ve never heard of but others face every day. Ultimately, this book is about the power of words. The authors’ words, the readers’. Who’s words are being used, amplified or ignored.

With the first sentence in every chapter, Yellowface made me feel anxious, but so excited that I had to physically stop myself from reading this all in one go because it’s actually a masterpiece that deserves to be savoured. Even then, it only took me a weekend because I had to keep stopping to write notes or tab pages. Furthermore, the writing, character development (or deliberately the lack of) and plot in this book should not to be overlooked by the excellently explored themes. This was Kuang’s first literary fiction, and I really hope it won’t be her last.

I loved this book, just like I love all of Kuang’s writing. Her narrative. Her voice. This one definitely did not disappoint and will stay with me forever. Yellowface will undoubtedly be one of my favourite books of the year, and it’s only February.

Mandatory reading. One million stars.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was delicious! Anyone who works in the industry who reads this should be prepared to wince. Some uncomfortable truths are played out beautifully in a story that's closer to fact than fiction. A protagonist you love to loathe, an industry you think would no better and numerous takes that actually happen if one is paying attention. Ouch. I adored it. Squirm and squirm again.

Completely distinctive and brilliantly compulsive, this is a fresh, funny and vibrant novel that deserves to be read by everyone. What a voice! Don’t read it if you have to love your characters - they’re all awful - but they’re awfully fun too.

4.3

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!

Yellowface follows June Hayward, a writer whose debut novel was a flop. June is friends with Athena Liu, who is also a writer, but Athena's debut was much more successful than June's. Until June witnessed Athena's strange death while she was almost finished with her masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contribution of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.

I honestly don't care what Athena writes; all I can think about is how June stole the work and won the prize. She claims it is her original work, and the publisher even changed her name to Juniper Song (she is white), as if she had Chinese ancestors. When someone finally figured out who June was, I was hooked. There are times when you think what June got was worth it, and she's hard to hate but also hard to like because what she did was plagiarism, and Athena seemed like a very good friend in her life, but what she did was reasonable.

The only thing that irritates me is the writing, which is more monologue, like having a conversation in your head without any action, so the excitement is reduced and there is almost no direction.

However, it is very different from other Kuang books because, as you know, she always writes fantasy themes with Chinese history in them, even if she doesn't forget her roots in it. And it feels like an outpouring her heart as a writer with experience in the publishing industry. Even silencing reviewers, who frequently judge books they read without understanding the process a writer goes through to get their book published, is a step in the right direction.

She also speaks about the initial process of a book being written before it goes to auction to a publisher until it can be published; this amazes me because the publishing industry is very serious in dealing with writers; I feel jealous because the publishing industry here is not the same as in the US or UK. I cringe at the racism directed at writers, which is mostly echoed by readers, and how writers must be careful to frame their stories in accordance with their race; it is this type of thought that Kuang appears to want to voice.

I'm not sure if everyone will accept Yellowface because I believe it will spark debate, but if you're interested in the publishing industry, how books become movies, or the cancel culture that plagues problematic writers, read this, which is set to be released on May 25th.

How can you explain a book without telling too much, making it interesting and fair to the reader and the author? I think “Yellowface” is a book difficult to describe and categorize, it talks about a lot of topics and you can’t discern if it’s fiction or non-fiction. Is this an autobiography covered as a fiction story? Or is it really everything fiction?
This is the story of Juniper Song; a white American author who goes from total anonymity to being a super star. So, the main question will be, did she deserve it? I will not enter on deciding if seeing your “friend” dying in front of you and stealing her draft for her next novel is being a good/bad person, I will leave the decision in your hands. But, while all the story is connected to this point, some of the criticism Juniper receives and is being bullied it’s not fair at all. But believe me when I say that I didn’t like her at all!
I think this is a book you should read a few times; discerning all the deep thoughts and plots that the author has left the seeds for the reader to catch, but if you don’t take a deep look, they can’t be seen. Because this book it’s like an onion, peels and peels off plots and subplots to keep you awake and thinking. It’s not easy to describe in just a few words all the story; there’s a toxic relationship, a deep insight into the publicists world (not nice), online trolling, racism, cultural appropriation… just to say a few of the themes that “Yellowface” talks about.
This is a book I recommend? Yes, for sure, it’s very well written and plotted. But at the same time I will say read it slowly, let the story sit while you are exploring June and Athina’s connection. What you’ll have to decide at the end is if it’s a symbiotic relationship or a parasitic one. And, who is who?
So, are you ready to meet the “Yellowface”?

"Yellowface" is a brilliant novel.
After reading and loving "Babel", I didn't know what I was expecting but I was not disappointed. Kuang gives the reader a vitriolic satire of the publishing world.
I was quite surprise by the narrator, June, - who is definitely NOT a likable character - but at the end, I was by her side, hoping for the best. I can tell you that : no one writes morally grey like R.F. Kuang !
This novel is basically the story of a trainwreck from beginning to end, and you fear that, with every page, things get worse and worse (and they do), but you're still so enthralled with it you can't stop reading.
Although it is totally different from "Babel" or "The Poppy War", "Yellowface" is a great book. A must read, for sure !

This is the first book I read from the author and it’s an incredible read. The plot is different, new, and, interesting in its own way. The way of storytelling is gripping and fast paced. I devoured the entire book in one sitting.

It’s a must read if you’re new to the author’s work and if you’re a fan then you’re in for a treat!

4.5 stars.

I just finished this ARC last night and holy cow that was fast. It was so easy to immerse yourself and get yourself confused because at one point, I hated Juniper and the next, I can't believe I'm saying it, but I was rooting for her.

It's very much an insight into how terrifying the publishing world could become as we see from Juniper's point of view. It tells us how one wrong choice of marketing tactics could lead you to a whole catastrophe of cancel culture.

Don't get me wrong. Juniper was wrong but Athena wasn't that an angel either. The whole cast was so unlikable that you just want to like them, if that makes any sense. Their opinions, though, I feel are very much Kuang's self insert. I couldn't help but feel IF this was pseudo-autobiography.

Can't wait for the physical copy to arrive in my country. I'll definitely would try to get it the soonest.

You ever read one of those books that you never want to put down? I've been cursing a few bedtimes that have crept up far too early because I've been quite so wrapped in this book.

Yellowface tells the story of June Hayward, a struggling writer who witnesses another writer's death and claims her work as her own. Hooked from page one.

R F Kuang has a way of making you care about character's you're at ideological odds with, only to have them turn around and hit you with a statement so shocking, with such blase delivery, that you remember why you were at odds with them in the first place. June is every "I'm not a bad person, my actions are just" person you're ever likely to meet, and yet at times I found myself rooting for her almost as strongly as I wanted her to see justice.

The characters just feel so human, so flawed, and so easy to get lost in the heads of.

Don't go into this expecting the same experience as Babel. In fact, I'd argue this is the other side of the coin. We get another voice in the conversation (albeit in the 21st century this time) but tonally this feels different too.

In Babel I felt seen, in Yellowface I see the other side.

When I say I'm ready to pick up every book Kuang ever writes, you better believe it!